3D动画软件比较
对于初学3D动画的新手来说，用什么样的工具会让自己事半功倍呢？在选择3D动画制作工具的时候，确实要花费点脑筋。
现在好了，TDT 3D网站从各个方面比较了主流的3D应用软件，包括Maya，3DS Max，Cinema4D，XSI，Lightwave，以及Blender。Blender在许多方面完全不逊于售价数百乃至上千美元的商业软件，当然缺点也很明显。文章的作者有十年的3D制作经验，为了测试比较这些3D软件，他带了很多学生，花了一年时间，最终将结果写成文章，制成表格，方便大家参考。
另外，Comparison of 3D Tools这里列了一些常用的3D动画软件，并进行了比较。也极有参考价值。
用开源的3D动画制作软件，三维动画艺术家Blender是首选。虽然学习曲线有点高。
下面是一些做测试的部件（排名不分先后）：
- Modeling Speacker using polygons and splines
- Procedural and bitmaps materials, how applications can handle heavy materials scenes ?
- How is easy to found / assign or to re-use datas ? Drag and Drop, libraries, assets,…
- Fine tune lights parameters, using lights layers, IES data, include/Exclude, negative lights, softshadow, area shadow,…
- Backward compatibilities with old softwares releases import and getting back maximum datas
- Stability when modeling and manipulating (vertex, polygons, edges,…) high polygons datas (Maximum in this test was 2 millions polygons scenes)
- Rendering quality using default render
- Speed of rendering for web (550×450 antialiased pictures), broadcast (720×576, motion blur 5, motion AA), print (A3 200 DPI) render quality
- Imports Silo3D 2.0 and Zbrush 2.5 Objetcs with high SubD sculpted meshes
- Assign default bones and wire quick IK setup
- N-Sided Quidam models import with ready rig and materials
- Get back motion capture data from FBX and Point Oven, cleanup motion key datas (Datas are from friends in film productions / motion capture / motion builder)
- Fcurves and motion mixer testing with datas I get back from animator
- Working with OpenEXR and HDRI import/export pictures
- Use env. with xStream from Vue 6
- Imports OBJ, 3DS, Collada and FBX scenes and try getting back importants datas (lights, cameras, materials,…)
- Imports Moi3D IGES nurbs models
- CAD DXF and DWG (when possible) imports with layers
- Texture backing and re-apply it to projects before realtime exports
- Exports scenes to 3D realtime VRML and X3D
- Unwrap toolset and PeltMapping on human head and organic models
- Datas exchange between xStream Vue 6 ! (OpenGL feedback and rendering quality/time)
- Flash SWF exports for the web with and/or without plugins
- Basic meshes scripting to do some rotation/translate, move along path and camera targetting
- …
| Autodesk 3ds max 9 SP2 | Autodesk Maya complete 8.5 | Blender 3D 2.45 | Luxology Modo 301 | Maxon Cinema4D R 10.1 | Newtek Lightwave 9.3 | Softimage XSI Foundation 6.2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First market | Viz - Games | Games - Film | VIZ - Realtime | Viz - Games | Motion - Design | VFX - VIZ w/LWCAD | Animation - Game - Film |
| End user prices * | 5,000 € | 2,500 € | FREE | 745 € | 800 € | 800 € | 450 € |
| Annual subscription | Yes | Yes | None | None | None | None | None |
| Platforms |  |   | | | | | |
| PLE | None | Yes | NA | None | None | None | None |
| Trial | Yes | Yes | NA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | FR EN | EN | A lots but EN is best | EN JP | CZ EN FR GE IT PL SP JP | EN JP | EN JP |
| Languages Switch | None | None | All include | None | All include | None | None |
| Industries populated | Very good | Very good | Low | Low | Good | Very good | Good |
| Technologies Core Aged | Old | Old | Old / Re-new | Modern | Old / Re-new | Old / Re-new | Modern |
| Learning path to be productive | < 2 months | < 3 months | < 3 months | < 1 month | < 1 month | < 2 months | < 2 months |
| Company support for single users | Low / Good | Good | Communities | Very good | Very good | Very good | Very good |
| Supports reactivities for single users | Good | Good | Communities | Very good | Excellent ! | Very good | Low |
| Interface | CAD style, Clean and powerful | Like a Forge, flexible and powerful, but not intuitive ! | Not as CG “industries” standard - Fast workflow, can be more intuitive | Excellent ! | Clean and intuitive | A bit old, texts interface. | Logical texts and clean interface ! |
| Documentations | Good | Excellent ! | Good | Very good, (many videos) | Very good | Excellent ! (Shaders manual !) | Very Good |
| DVD training | Good | Very good | Low | Good | Low | Very good | Good |
| TOP Import / Export needed by industries | |||||||
| 3DS | Very good | Very good | Good | Low | Very good | Good | Low |
| COLLADA | Very good | Very good | Very good | Good | None | None | Very Good |
| FBX | Very good | Very good | Very good | Very good | Very good | Good | Very Good |
| OBJ | Very good | Very good | Good | Very good | Very good | Good | Good |
| VRML / X3D | VRML 97 | VRML 2 | VRML 1 & 97 | X3D | VRML 2 | VRML 97 | Plugin |
| Point Oven | Plugin | Plugin | 90% working | Yes | None | Plugin | Very good |
| DXF | Very good | Good | Low | Yes | Good | Good | Plugin |
| IGES | Good | Low | None | None | Plugin | None | Good |
| STL | Very good | Very good | Good | None | Very good | Plugin | None |
| Output compositing | RPF RLA EXR | RPF RLA EXR | EXR | EXR | RPF RLA EXR | RPF RLA EXR | EXR |
| Rendering | |||||||
| Rendering | Internal, Mentalray | Internal, Mentalray | Internal | Internal | Internal | Internal | Mentalray |
| Quality | Excellent ! | Excellent ! | Good | Excellent ! | Good | Excellent ! | Excellent ! |
| Must have render plugin | Vray | Vray | Yafray / Indigo | None | Adv.Render | None | 3Delight |
| Quality w/plugin | Excellent ! | Excellent ! | Very good | NA | Very good | Excellent ! | Excellent ! |
| Textures Baker | Very good | Very good | Good | Excellent ! | Very good | Excellent ! | Very good |
| Top base package for industries need ! （are only available in Highend Package only ！） | |||||||
| Animation tools （IK, Char Rig, Bones, Controller, Blending,…） | Very good | Excellent ！ | Good | Low | Good | Good | Excellent ！ |
| UV tools (Unwrap, Pelt…) | Very good | Excellent ! | Excellent ! | Excellent ! | Excellent ! | Good | Excellent ! |
| Painting | None | Very good | Low | Excellent！ | Excellent！ | None | Very good |
| Modeling | Excellent ! | Very good | Good | Very good | Very good | Excellent ! | Excellent ! |
| Modifiers | Excellent ! | Very good | Good | Very good | Good | Good | Very good |
| NURBS | Low | Very good | Low | None | None (HyperNurbs) | None | Very good |
| Dynamics / Rigid bodies | Very good | Excellent ! | Very good | None | Very good | Very good | Excellent ! |
| Soft bodies | Very good | Very good | Good | None | Good | Good | Very good |
| Hairs | Very good | Very good | Good | None | Very good | Good | Very good |
| Cloths | Very good | Very good | Good | None | Very good | None | Very good |
| Particles | Excellent！ | Very good | Good | None | Good | Very good | Very good |
| Fluids | None | Very good | Very good | None | None | Good | Good |
| Compositing | None | None | Yes | None | None | Yes | Excellent！ |
| Nodes-Based Workflow | None | Yes | None | None | None | None | None |
| Nodes-Based Materials | Plug-ins | Yes | Yes | None | None | Excellent ! | Excellent ! |
| Nodes-Based Compositing | None | None | Yes | None | None | None | Excellent ! |
| CG shader / Games | Excellent ! | Excellent ! | Yes | None | None | Yes | Excellent ! |
| Top unique feature | Biped ParticlesFlow | PaintFX Fluids Nucleus | 3DRT Sculpting Video edit | Painting Render Sculpting | Bodypaint | Hypervoxel Render ! | Anim tools Gator Illusion |
| Scripting | Good | Excellent ! | Very good | Excellent ! | Good | Good | Excellent ! |
| Scripting Dev. | Maxscript | MEL, Python | Python | Perl, Lua, Python | EXPRESSO COFFEE | LScript | Vb, Python, Jscript |
| C/C++ Dev. | Good | Very good | Very good (opensource) | None | Very good | Very good | Good |
| Vue 6 xStream plugin | Low | Good | None | None | Good | Excellent ! | Excellent ! |
| The dark side ! | Price, no new features ! | Learning curve | Interface / documentations | No char Anim tools | Default render | Rig tools | Imports Exports |
| All you need for Film / Production Ready ? | |||||||
| Package | Standard | Unlimited | Standard with a lots scripts | Standard | Studio | Standard | Essential |
| Prices * | 5,000 € | 8,500 € | Free | 745 € | 3,200 € | 800 € | 2,500 € |
| All you need for Freelance / Designer Ready ? | |||||||
| Package | Standard | Complete | Standard | Standard | Bundle | Standard | Foundation |
| Prices * | 5,000 € | 2,500 € | Free | 745 € | 2,500 € | 800 € | 450 € |
| All you need for EDU / Student ready ? | |||||||
| Package | Standard | Ulimited | Standard | Standard | Bundle | Standard | Advanced |
| Prices * | 130 € | 250 € | Free | 125 € | 180 € | 230 € | 220 € |
| Can I Found a jobs with ? | |||||||
| VIZ / Design | Excellent ! | Good | Good | Good | Excellent ! | Good | Low |
| Film | Good | Excellent ! | Low | Low | Low | Very good | Excellent ! |
| VFX / Motion | Good | Excellent ! | Good | Low | Good | Excellent ! | Excellent ! |
| Game | Excellent ! | Very good | Low | Good | Low | Good | Very good |
| Web designer | Low | Low | Good | Good | Excellent ! | Good | Low |
| 3D Realtime / VR | Excellent ! | Very good | Very good | Good | Low | Good | Low |
| Users communities and popularity ? | |||||||
| Nord America | Excellent ! | Excellent ! | Good | Excellent ! | Good | Very good | Excellent ! |
| Europe | Very good | Excellent ! | Very good | Excellent ! | Good | Good | Good |
| Asia | Very good | Good | Low | Good | Low | Very good | Excellent ! |
| My last words ? | |||||||
| 3ds max | By far the most well know and used 3D dcc applications in the industries all around the world, so the prices for freelance is too much expenssive and old core based. The Bad since version 7 is the price vs poor new features, evolving ! | ||||||
| Maya | One of the most know by popularity in the Film and VFX industries. Maya downside's is on learning curve interface not intuitive and ! | ||||||
| Blender | A good all around application first for freelance. Blender downside's is on interface, who is not today “industries” common (no drag & drop, poor intuitive tools,…) and structured / centralised documentations, so it's the best free all arround solution. | ||||||
| Modo | Probably the most modern 3D software and it is being developed rapidly. Very affordable and has a super strong user community. Multi-threading and a super flexible user interface And 3D sculpting tools! | ||||||
| Cinema4D | Very good all around application suitable for freelance/designer best quality tools for the price ! Not enough popular yet ! | ||||||
| LightWave | An old but very powerful suitable first for VFX and VIZ market. LightWave downside's is on Rig tools, so Render engine and shaders are the best you can found ! | ||||||
| Softimage XSI | No doubt for the prices the Foundation is the best all around, so Imports/Exports is the dark side, but for 450 euro you can't get better (exlude Blender for free !) | ||||||
